Favourite Toy - Allbedeut-Greiflinge

Kugel ball (rattle)

I really love the simplicity and form of the Allbedeut-Greiflinge dexterity toys designed by Hugo Kükelhaus. The concept is roughly translated as 'grasping anything/everything'.

Working as a furniture designer, illustrator, glass artist and sculptor, Kükelhaus was heavily influenced by the theories of Friedrich Fröbel, the German educator responsible for the creation of the 'kindergarten' for early childhood education. Kükelhaus became interested in the play of very young children and began designing toys for infants in the late 1930s.

Fisch

He designed his toys to appeal to the senses and to encourage each individual sense to work in coordination, organically. This was achieved by avoiding artificial overstimulation or excess ornamentation, incorporating movement and sound, and creating toys from wood—a natural and warm medium that encourages touch and has an intrinsic and timeless beauty. Kükelhaus's toys aimed to develop the skills and abilities of young children, including the powers of observation. 

range of toys

His toys are harmonious, well-proportioned, mainly figurative in nature and have an enduring appeal. I truly admire the longevity of these toys which are still available for sale and look as fresh today as they did some 80 years ago.

In fact, the Kugel rattle—pictured at the top of this post—has been in our family for almost 50 years.

Favorite toy - Kapla planks

Kapla planks

I loved the time that existed before electronics became so pervasive in our lives. The time when my kids were constantly immersed in imaginary play and could build worlds and create settings for myriad stories and epic sagas. 

To solve the crisis imposed by building with Jenga blocks (which curtailed structures to 54 blocks), and to enable structures to evolve beyond the shapes that are somewhat dictated by the substantial (heavy) blocks provided in traditional wooden building sets—we invested in a set of Kapla planks. This is one of my favorite toys—right up there with the cardboard box!   

Nic attempting to outdo a structure

The beauty of these planks is that they are all the same size (ratio of 1:3:5), and the same color—simply finished pine without embellishment and with the beauty of the timber grain apparent. The planks are thin enough to build floors and roofs. The lightness of the planks enables them to be stacked to astronomical heights, yet avoid abundant noise, damaged floors, or injured children when the predestined demolition occurs. A large number of planks allow imaginations and structures to grow and evolve in tandem. Kapla planks are a brilliant toy for open-ended play and encourage creative and logical thinking and spatial awareness. 

Of course, coupling a toy requiring sustained concentration and patience with the vagaries of gravity can end in tears from time to time. 😁

Boys posing with yet another structure

The planks were designed by Tom van der Bruggen in 1987. The name Kapla is derived from "KAbouter PLAnkjes" which is Dutch for gnome planks. 

photographing babes

photograph of newborn taken by my very talented cousin-in-law Camilla! 

Digital photography has opened up endless possibilities for capturing moments in a child's life. The medium means that no flash is needed, there are multiple chances at getting the 'right' shot, images are easily manipulated, and sharing can be instant. 

photographs by Anne Geddes

I can only imagine the trials Anne Geddes needed to go through to create her brilliant images. Shooting long before digital photography was available, Geddes was a trailblazer of baby photography and completely changed the way people looked at portraiture. The setup time required, the creation of props, the unlikeliness of having cooperative subjects... then the angst prior to developing the film must have been considerable. Geddes greeting cards, calendars and books have been sought after since the early 1990's. Geddes still shoots and devotes much time and effort to philanthropic causes. 

Small babies are ideal still life subjects - when they are asleep: posable, not likely to move, and asleep for extended periods! This has negated all the problems associated trying to get a newborn to smile for a camera - or at least to look a little bit awake. Some people have been having a lot of fun and results are very creative. I love the simplicity of the Blackboard Adventures shot by Anna of Cute Moments Photography.

photo from cutemomentsphotography.com

A couple of mothers have turned their passions into lucrative careers, popular blogs, collections and even book contracts. Queenie Liao created Wengenn in Wonderland using her son as the subject in elaborate scenarios.

photo from facebook.com/Wengenn.wonderland

Adele Enersen started a blog posing her sleeping daughter in various poses entitled Mila's Daydreams. The collection later published in the book When My Baby Dreams.

photo by adele enersen, found at fashionisintheair.com/2011/01/milas-daydreams-adele-enersen

photo from: harpercollinschildrens.com/books

Action Movie Kid is taking all of this digital fun to an extreme. With a dad employed by Dreamworks, this toddler has the most awesomely documented (!) life. My children couldn't stop laughing at the short (mostly around 10 second) movies made by James' father Daniel Hashimoto.

video still from youtube.com/user/theActionMovieKid

Intelligence, Creativity, Einstein and Tang Yau Hoong

artwork by Tang Yau Hoong

I saw this image and quote on this site and was immediately attracted to it. 
After some searching online, I found and ordered a print from the artist Tang Yau Hoong as a birthday gift to myself. 
A signed print arrived from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia last week. I love it. I have yet to have it framed and put up on the wall. I love any print that can help explain our 'creatively' messy house.